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PubMed1997

Identification of enteroinvasive Escherichia coli and Shigella strains in pediatric patients by an IpaC-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

A new method, a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) recognizing a secreted, invasion plasmid-coded protein antigen (IpaC), was used to identify enteroinvasive Escherichia coli and Shigella strains among colonies from 859 cultures of fecal samples from children in Kuwait. A total of 33.8% of the samples were diarrheal. By the immunoassay, enteroinvasive E. coli strains were identified from two diarrheal samples but from none of the samples from children without diarrhea. These strains were fully virulent and belonged to serogroup O28ac. In addition, 26 Shigella strains were also recognized by the ELISA, while only 23 were isolated by routine biotyping and serotyping. For two diarrheal patients, Shigella was identified by culture only. The study showed that the IpaC-specific immunoassay is a simple and useful tool for identifying enteroinvasive strains. Furthermore, by reporting the first enteroinvasive E. coli isolates from Kuwait, the study indicates the presence of this group of pathogens as a potential source of diarrhea in the region.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

PubMed1971

A statistical survey of the composition of gallstones in eight countries.

The crystalline composition of gallstones from Australia, England, Germany, India, Kuwait, South Africa, Sweden, and the USA has now been determined by the x-ray powder method. Eleven compounds were identified. The three cholesterols-cholesterol monohydrate, anhydrous cholesterol, and cholesterol II-account for 71% of the total crystalline material in the stones; the calcium carbonates-vaterite, aragonite, and calcite-contribute 15%, and calcium palmitate contributes 6%. Smaller amounts of apatite, sodium chloride, whitlockite, and alpha-palmitic acid were also found. The composition distribution in each country is significantly different. Gallstones from Germany, Sweden, and Australia are the most similar. Gallstones from England have significantly more carbonate, and stones from South Africa have much less cholesterol and more calcium phosphate and calcium palmitate. Stones from Kuwait have a large amount of calcium palmitate and those from India an excess of calcium phosphate. The composition of stones related to the age and to the sex of a patient shows that although there are no significant differences in composition for patients under and over the age of 50 there are differences in the stone composition related to the patient's sex. Female patients form much more cholesterol while males form much more calcium palmitate and slightly more calcium carbonate. The differences also exist for female and male patients over and under 50 years of age. A study of the texture and orientation of the crystalline material in the gallstones has shown that anhydrous cholesterol and cholesterol monohydrate can occur as single crystals oriented with respect to the nucleus whereas other stone components are disoriented crystallites.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2006

Field trial on caries prevention with xylitol candies among disabled school students.

BACKGROUND: In a 1999 survey high caries levels were found among physically disabled school students in Kuwait. OBJECTIVES: A field study was planned to test the efficacy of xylitol candies in preventing caries among individuals in two special schools in Kuwait. METHODS: Altogether 176 students were examined in 2002 and 145 (105 in xylitol group and 40 in the control group) after 18 months' intervention. The WHO criteria were used in recording caries according to surfaces (third molars were excluded) by 2 calibrated examiners (E.H., M.S.). The students were allocated to the xylitol group only if the parent/caregiver returned the informed consent form. School health nurses distributed xylitol candies to the students 3 times during the school day (after breakfast and lunch, and before leaving the school). RESULTS: In the xylitol group, the baseline DS and DMFS scores were 3.4 and 8.2 and in the follow-up 1.9 and 7.1, respectively. In the control group, the baseline scores were DS 3.9 and DMFS 9.8, and the follow-up scores DS 3.9 and DMFS 13.2. CONCLUSION: Xylitol seemed to have a strong preventive and a clear remineralizing effect on caries.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1983

Monoclonal antibodies to polioviruses. Comparison of intratypic strain differentiation of poliovirus type 1 using monoclonal antibodies versus cross-absorbed antisera.

A panel of 10 monoclonal antibodies raised to 3 different poliovirus type 1 strains was tested in a micro-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and in a micro-neutralization test against 87 poliovirus type 1 strains. The results, evaluated in a newly developed system for intratypic strain characterization, were compared with the results obtained with the classical sero-differentiation system by using a small number of strain-specific, cross-absorbed antisera. The new system not only uses results obtained with strain-specific antibody preparations, but also uses the information obtained with monoclonal antibodies reacting with less unique antigenic determinants. In a theoretical pattern fitting computer program, each virus strain could be compared with all the other strains for which serological data were stored in the memory of the computer. The results obtained with the new system coincided well with those obtained with the classical system: all except one of the strains classified as Sabin-like or intermediate in the classical system scored 'perfect fit' or 'related' with the Sabin 1 vaccine strain in the new system. Likewise, all virus isolates classified as Kuwait-like in the classical system scored 'perfect fit' or 'related' with the Dutch Kuwait-like isolate strain 78-9030.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

The effects of ingested petroleum on oviposition and some aspects of reproduction in experimental colonies of mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos).

Compared to unmated mallard ducks fed an uncontaminated diet, unmated birds given food contaminated with 3 ml South Louisiana crude oil per 100 g dry weight showed an 84% decline in the daily rate of oviposition, a 33% decrease in egg-shell thickness and at autopsy more than 82% of the ovarian mass consisted of atretic follicles. Similar studies on groups of mated females showed that although the addition of 1 ml South Louisiana crude oil/100 g dry food had no effect on the daily rate of oviposition, none of the eggs had been fertilized while a concentration of 3 ml South Louisiana crude oil/100 g dry food suppressed the daily rate of oviposition significantly. Less than 25% of these eggs had been fertilized and only 40% of the fertilized eggs yielded viable ducklings. In both of these groups of mated birds, normal patterns of oviposition, fertilization and hatchability were restored after removal of petroleum from the diet. The addition of 1 ml Kuwait crude oil/100 g dry food had no effect on the rate of oviposition, the incidence of fertility or the hatchability of the fertilized eggs. The addition of 3 ml oil/100 g dry food completely abolished oviposition, but a normal rate of oviposition was restored when the concentration of the crude oil was reduced from 3 to 1 ml/100 g dry food. However, the incidence of fertilization remained low and none of the fertilized eggs gave rise to viable ducklings. Kuwait crude oil had no effect on shell thickness.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Differential levels of T helper cytokines in preeclampsia: pregnancy, labor and puerperium.

BACKGROUND: There are suggestions that T helper 1 cytokines may be detrimental to early pregnancy and T helper 2 cytokines protective of the pregnancy. Their role in preeclamptic pregnancy, labor and puerperium, is not clear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight preeclamptic women and their matched controls were evaluated, at the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University and Maternity Hospital, Kuwait. Outcome measures evaluated were serum levels of TNF alpha and interleukin-4 at 12, 24, 36 weeks of gestation, advanced labor and at 1 hour and daily postpartum until they were undetectable, using ELISA technique. RESULTS: T helper cytokines showed higher serum levels in preeclampsia than normotensive pregnancy (p < 0.01, 0.01), in established labor (p < 0.05) and at 1 hour postpartum (p < 0.01 for IL-4) and p < 0.02 for TNF alpha. There was significant increase of IL-4 between 12 to 24 weeks in normal pregnancy compared to preeclampsia (p < 0.001) but not for TNF alpha. By 24 hours postpartum, IL-4 was still detectable in eight parturients compared to one patient with detectable TNF alpha (p < 0.04). Detectable IL-4 levels after 24 hours postpartum were associated with intrauterine growth retardation (p < 0.03). CONCLUSION: IL-4 has a dichotomous role in pregnancy. Normotensive pregnancy is associated with high increase in IL-4 in the first half of the pregnancy, but in the second half of pregnancy and puerperium, high levels of IL-4 are associated with preeclampsia.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

A histopathological study of head and neck specimens from a cohort of Persian Gulf War military veterans.

Approximately 700,000 U.S. military personnel were deployed to the Persian Gulf region during the Gulf War. Since their return, many Persian Gulf War veterans (GWVs) have presented with various medical symptoms, including those related to the head and neck. A study devoted to the histopathology of head and neck specimens from GWVs has not been previously reported. Surgical, autopsy, and cytological specimens from GWVs were evaluated by light microscopy at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology with additional studies as required and were entered into the Kuwait Registry. The Kuwait Registry contained 361 head and neck specimens from 264 GWVs. Neoplasms were relatively infrequent, including six malignant neoplasms and 14 benign neoplasms. The most frequent diagnoses were chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and lymphoid hyperplasia of the tonsils. These conditions are frequently encountered in routine anatomic pathology practice in the general U.S. population.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

A quantitative analysis of medical publications from Arab countries.

OBJECTIVE: To perform geographical analysis of the number of biomedical publications produced in 20 Arab countries over a 15-year period from 1987 to 2001 and to compare publication rates normalized by country population, school enrollment, adult illiteracy, and gross domestic product (GDP). METHODS: This study was carried out at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates. A search of the Medline database for publications in which the first author of original articles is affiliated with an institution located in the Arab World was performed. Data collection, extraction, and validation was performed. RESULTS: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt had the highest number of publications together accounting for 58.4% of the Arab World's publications. Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had the highest number when normalizing by population with 6.57/100,000 for Kuwait and 2.62/100,000 for UAE. Normalizing by the GDP indicator, Jordan had the highest number of publications with 11.2 per one billion average yearly GDP followed by Lebanon with 10.3 per one billion average yearly GDP. CONCLUSION: Normalizing publications by different indicators is important as results may vary when using different normalizing indicators or no normalization at all.

Bibliometrics↗

PubMed2006

The handsearching of 2 medical journals of Bahrain for reports of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To identify reports of randomized trials by handsearching 2 Bahrain medical journals, which are indexed in the biomedical database EMBASE and to determine any added value of the handsearching by comparing the reports found by handsearching with what would have been found by searching EMBASE to examine (i) the precision and sensitivity of the EMBASE index term Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) and (ii) The Cochrane Collaboration's systematic electronic search of EMBASE (which uses 4 index terms and 9 free-text terms). METHODS: All issues of the Bahrain Medical Bulletin (BMB) (1979-2004) and the Journal of the Bahrain Medical Society (JBMS) (1989-2004) were handsearched in February 2005 for reports of RCTs or Controlled Clinical Trials (CCTs), according to Cochrane eligibility criteria. RESULTS: Out of 395 articles in BMB we found reports of 12 RCTs and 4 CCTs. Distribution by country of corresponding author: Jordan (4 RCTs, one CCT), Bahrain (one RCT, one CCT), India (3 RCTs, one CCT), Kuwait (one CCT), Saudi Arabia (2 RCTs), USA/Bahrain (one RCT), and Oman (one RCT); and by specialty: Anesthesia (8), Surgery (1) Pediatrics (1), Radiotherapy (1), Community Medicine (1), Sports Medicine (1), Obstetrics/Gynecology (3). The Journal of the Bahrain Medical Society included reports of 14 RCTs and 3 CCTs, out of 97 articles. Distribution by country of corresponding author: Jordan (9 RCTs, 2 CCTs), Bahrain (3 RCTs), Egypt (one RCT), Kuwait (one RCT), and Saudi Arabia (one RCT); and by specialty: Anesthesia (7), General Surgery (3), Obstetrics/Gynecology (1), Radiotherapy (1), Pediatrics (1), Orthopaedic Surgery (1), Education (1) Ear Nose and Throat (1) Ophthalmology (1). Overall, of the 33 reports of trials found by handsearching both journals, only 23 were included in EMBASE of which only 6 had been indexed with the term RCT. Of the 23 reports of trials included in EMBASE, 16 had been identified in the Collaboration s systematic search of EMBASE. Two reports of trials could have been retrieved by this search but there was insufficient information in the title and abstract to code these as trials. The EMBASE records for the remaining 5 reports of trials did not contain terms currently used by The Cochrane Collaboration to identify reports of randomized trials in this database. CONCLUSION: The handsearching of these journals will help minimize publication bias by locating randomized trials not previously identified and, through their inclusion in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library, will ensure reports of randomized trials will not remain buried through indexing bias.

Bahrain↗

PubMedDate not supplied

BERA in children with hearing loss and delayed speech.

OBJECTIVES: The brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) is an objective neurophysiological method for the evaluation of the hearing threshold and diagnosing retrocochlear lesions. The aim of the study was to investigate the hearing level in children with suspected hearing loss or pathological speech development. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The BERA diagnostic procedure was applied in 184 children ranging from 1 to 12 years of age at Ahmadi Hospital in Kuwait. RESULTS: We found profound hearing loss (deafness) in 13 children, severe hearing loss in 8 children, moderate hearing loss in 34 children, mild hearing loss in 34 children, and normal hearing level in 95 children. Out of the children suspected for hearing loss, 42% actually had some level (mild-moderate) of hearing loss. Out of the children with delayed speech, 63% had some level (mild-profound) of hearing loss which actually caused the delay in speech development; 37% had normal hearing, but inadequate verbal communication affected their language acquisition and speech development. CONCLUSIONS: These results illustrate the necessity to test children hearing even with the slightest suspicion by the parent or doctor of hearing loss. The results warrant the establishment of a hearing screening test of newborns in Kuwait to provide hearing aid to children with hearing loss.

Audiometry, Evoked Response↗

PubMed1985

Significance of endostreptosin antibody titers in poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.

Endostreptosin (ESS) is an immunologically well defined cytoplasmic antigen of group A and some group C streptococci. ESS is probably the pathogenetic antigen of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (ASGN). Antibodies to ESS (ESS-Ab) were determined by microcomplement fixation in 1,102 patients and by ELISA in 105 patients. In 168 patients with ASGN (90 from the U.S.A. and 78 from Kuwait) the arithmetic mean titer was 45.2 (log10 1.40 +/- 0.606) and 50.2 (log10 1.51 +/- 0.394) respectively, both significantly elevated compared to 347 age matched children and adults from the U.S.A. whose arithmetic mean titer was 9.1 (log10 0.83 +/- 0.635) and 7.5 (log10 0.55 +/- 0.492) respectively and 139 children from Kuwait whose arithmetic mean titer was 15.7 (log10 0.92 +/- 0.495). In 51 patients with ASGN, the mean ELISA value was 67.5% higher than the values obtained from 54 normal age matched controls. Patients with streptococcal infections without renal involvement had only transiently and mildly elevated values. ESS-Abs in patients with other types of glomerulonephritides were in the range of normal. ESS-Ab titers do not parallel the titers of streptococcal exoenzymes. ESS-Ab titers are of importance for the differential diagnosis of renal diseases and of similar significance for the understanding of the pathogenetic mechanism of ASGN. They are possibly of significance for therapy in the form of an active vaccine.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Frequency of the 677 C-->T mutation of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene among Kuwaiti sickle cell disease patients.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is relatively mild among Kuwaiti Arabs. However, an atypical subset of patients exists with frequent, severe vaso-occlusive crisis and osteonecrosis. The thermolabile variant of MTHFR, resulting from a C-->T mutation at nucleotide 677, has been shown to be associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, which is an important risk factor for premature vascular disease. We have screened an unselected group of 41 Kuwaiti SCD patients (33 SS and 8 Sbeta(0)-thal) attending the Hematology Clinic of Kuwait University Teaching Hospital for the MTHFR mutation, using a PCR-RFLP method. The patients were aged 2-41 years (mean of 12.8 +/- 8.6). One (2.4%) individual was homozygous for the mutation while 15 (36.6%) were heterozygous, giving an allele frequency of 20.7%. Twenty-one patients (14 SS and 7 Sbeta(0)-thal) were screened for osteonecrosis using MRI of the hip (spin-echo T1- and T2-weighted images). Seven (33.3%) had varying degrees of osteonecrosis, among whom the frequency of the 677 C-->T allele was 21.4%. The frequency was identical among those without osteonecrosis. Although the allele frequency is higher among our patients compared to American SS patients, our results do not suggest an association with osteonecrosis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

A cryptic Bacillus isolate exhibited narrow 16S rRNA gene sequence divergence with Bacillus thuringiensis and showed low maintenance requirements in hyper-osmotic complex substrate cultivations.

A cryptic Bacillus (K90) isolate obtained from soil samples from the Kuwait desert exhibited lower maintenance requirements in complex substrate cultivations than Bacillus thuringiensis. A mathematical model was used to estimate apparent maintenance coefficients (m(c)) and these were found to be 0.336 and 0.041/h for B. thuringiensis and K90, respectively. The results also showed that the values of apparent maintenance coefficients were inversely related to the specific growth rates. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that K90 exhibited 99.81% sequence similarity to that of B. mojavensis and 92.9% with B. thuringiensis. It is evident from the dendrogram that the evolution of B. mojavensis (K90) (B. subtilis group), which may have originated after B. licheniformis could have been influenced by prolonged hyper-osmotic conditions, while B. thuringiensis that evolved before B. oleronius exhibited greater sensitivity as implied by the higher maintenance coefficient obtained for the hyper-osmotic cultures. As K90 exhibited low maintenance requirements in hyperosmotic cultures, close phylogenetic relationship with B. thuringiensis, along with the reported property of encapsulation of insecticidal crystal proteins (Cry) in Bacillus strains and endophytic nature of B. mojavensis, strongly suggest that K90 could be a promising surrogate host for the transgenic delivery of "Cry" proteins.

Bacillus↗

PubMed1983

Antibodies to fastidious faecal adenoviruses (species 40 and 41) in sera from children.

Three hundred and seventy-seven single sera from children in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Gambia, Guatemala, and Kuwait were tested for antibodies to fastidious fecal adenoviruses (species 40 and 41) by neutralisation test using a variant of Ad41 (Ad41a). All children were less than 12 years of age, and at least 41.1% of the total tested had antibodies. One hundred and fifty-four of these sera were collected during the 1960s from London children attending day nurseries, and 54.5% had antibodies to Ad40 or Ad41. The proportion of seropositive children from an isolated Gambian village community in 1979 was similar to the proportion of seropositives in London children bled in 1979-1980.

Adenoviridae Infections↗

PubMed1981

The genetic structure of the Kuwaiti population. I. Distribution of 17 markers with genetic distance analysis.

Frequency estimates were determined on seventeen blood group, serum protein, and red-cell enzyme markers on random samples of 193 individuals from two Bedouin tribes in addition to the general population in Kuwait. Genetic heterogeneity between the three communities is evident from the significant differences in allelic distribution of the polymorphic markers. Genetic distance measurements were used to compare the results with the oral history of descent of the two tribal communities. Results were in agreement with tribal history.

Blood Group Antigens↗

PubMed1996

Known type 2 diabetes mellitus among the Kuwaiti population. A prevalence study.

The reported prevalence of type 2 diabetes among the Kuwaiti population varied from one source to another. This study was undertaken to define the magnitude of the problem and to suggest plans for future diabetic care. All type 2 Kuwaiti diabetic subjects registered and continuing to attend regularly in two health areas Mubarak Health Area (MHA) and Farwania Health Area (FHA)] were selected for the study. There were 3222 in MHA and 5114 in FHA among the Kuwaiti population aged 20 years and above, accounting for a total crude prevalence of 7.6% in both health areas and for a prevalence rate of 5.6% in MHA and 10.0% in FHA. The age-specific prevalence of type 2 diabetes in both areas combined rose from 2.639 per 100 population in the age group 20-39 years to 15.350% and 26.252% in the age groups 40-59 and 60 and above, respectively. The female to male ratio was 1.7, 1.6, 1.1, respectively, in MHA and 1.7, 2.0, 0.9 in FHA for the age groups 20-39, 40-59, and 60 and above. This study shows that type 2 diabetes is a major public health problem in Kuwait, with a female preponderance. Obesity is a characteristic feature of the population studied, with a mean body mass index of 31.8 +/- 6.3 and 28.5 +/- 5.1 in women and men, respectively. A positive family history of diabetes mellitus was reported in 63% of the diabetic subjects. There is a need to standardize methods of reporting and to plan a national screening survey.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Maternal sexuality during pregnancy and after childbirth in Muslim Kuwaiti women.

The sexuality of Kuwaiti Muslim women before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and 6 months after childbirth was studied. A group of 220 women attending the prenatal clinic of the Maternity Hospital Kuwait were randomly selected; 40 (18.2%) declined at the outset, 10 (4.6%) withdrew due to miscarriage and 10 (4.6%) due to failure to attend interviews. The semistructured interview was conducted by a female obstetrician at 4-week intervals starting from 12 weeks pregnancy to 6 months after childbirth. The study led to the following observations: (i) All the women were religious and abided by the Islamic rules and way of life. (ii) The diagnosis of pregnancy led to a decline in sexuality that continued throughout the pregnancy, with a second and early third trimester increase in sexuality but still below the prepregnancy baseline. (iii) Each woman had a consistent pattern of sexuality during pregnancy reflecting her prepregnancy level of sexuality. (iv) Younger age group, multiparity, low-level of education, lesser duration of marriage, and intention of breast-feeding characterized the sexuality pattern positively, as did attitudes towards sexuality during pregnancy and after childbirth. Breast-feeding mothers exceeded their prepregnancy level of sexuality earlier than bottle-feeding mothers.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

High-temperature hydrocarbon biodegradation activities in Kuwaiti desert soil samples.

Soil samples taken monthly from the Burgan South oil field of Kuwait for one year degraded crude oil, phenanthrene, and hexadecane. Bacteria were better degraders at high-temperature (55 degrees C) than fungi, especially in the drier, hotter months. Depending on the period of sampling, bacteria degraded hydrocarbons in the range of 46-86% (crude oil), 42-100% (hexadecane) and 5-58% (phenanthrene). Fungi alone accounted for degradation by 20-81% (crude oil), 30-95% (hexadecane) and less than 55% (phenanthrene).

Alkanes↗